What scientists learned from a year of silence

During the pandemic, the planet got quieter.

Aisha Rahman·
11 min read·Apr 13, 2026
Plays the whole article — 6 parts

For the last decade, software has trended toward the enormous.

But quietly, a different kind of thing has been finding its audience. what scientists learned from a year of silence

When you sit down to write something meaningful, the hardest part is rarely the writing itself. It is the willingness to begin. The blank page is honest in a way few other things are; it asks you, plainly, what do you actually have to say?

What makes this moment different is not the tools. It is the audience.

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Written by

Aisha Rahman

Science journalist. Curiosity is my profession.